Stafford Cripps

Richard Stafford Cripps, left-wing British intellectual, Christian socialist and an eminent king’s counsel; Labour MP, 1931–50; British ambassador to Russia, 1940–42; minister for aircraft production, 1942–45.

lunched at my place today and told me the following story. Hitler desires very much to soften Labour’s attitude towards him. Two years or so ago, before he came to power, he sent Cripps a draft party programme, requesting his comments. Cripps answered with a long letter that tore the draft to shreds. Nonetheless, having come to power, Hitler made several attempts to make contact with Cripps. About a month ago he sent special emissaries to Cripps, inviting him to visit Germany and to see whatever he wished, including prisons and concentration camps. Hitler even promised to give him the use of a special aeroplane. Cripps categorically rejected the Führer’s proposal – but there’s no denying the agility and resourcefulness of the German dictator!

Cripps told me some curious things about the Canadian premier Bennett,

Richard Bedford Bennett (1st Viscount Bennett of Mickleham and of Calgary and Hopewell), Canadian prime minister, 1930–35.

whom he saw during his recent visit to Canada. At a grand dinner in Ottawa, at which Bennett was present, Cripps made a speech inveighing against the capitalist system. The next day Bennett invited Cripps to see him. He told him that he had been mulling over Cripps speech all night and had to admit that he had not found a single serious argument in defence of capitalism. Cripps is right: capitalism is bankrupt. But what to do? Where to go?

Bennett discussed various issues of practical policy with Cripps at length. On parting, he shook the latter’s hand firmly and exclaimed: ‘You can’t imagine what you’ve done for me. I haven’t had such an important talk in all my life. You’ll soon see.’ And what do you think happened? A few months later, Bennett, to the considerable horror of his Conservative supporters, announced a New Deal programme modelled on that of Roosevelt.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, governor of New York, 1928–32; 32nd president of the United States, 1933–45.

In a recent speech over the radio Bennett declared that three things played a decisive role in his change of policy: his talk with Litvinov in Geneva, Cripps’s book on socialism and Strachey’s

Evelyn John St Loe Strachey, a militant communist and Marxist theorist, he was editor of The Socialist Review and The Miner from 1924. Broke away from the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) in 1940 and became a leading Labour politician in the post-war era.

book about the collapse of capitalism.

Just you think! Here it is, capitalism’s ‘hypocritical face’!